A Quick Guide To Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Updated Feb 2017I’ve been to a few places in Caribbean but my trip to Providenciales (Provo), Turks and Caicos (TCI) is by far my favorite. In fact just a few moments ago I woke up from a nap where I dreamed I was in TCI again. I first became intrigued about TCI when I saw a picture on someone’s IG. It looked so peaceful. When I looked from at prices from Charlotte, it was very expensive so I gave up. Fast forward to when I moved to Atlanta, it was cold in Atlanta and I was ready to see the beach. I looked at prices to LA but then realized with all costs I could go somewhere I’ve never been. I happened to look one night for the following week in November to TCI. I discovered my preferred airline now offers direct 2 hr and 20 minute flight to TCI. Most of the hotels are not all inclusive which I have been used to when traveling to the Caribbean. I found a deal on Expedia and booked for the following week. Check out some of the things I observed on my trip to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

PLS Airport

The airport is really small. You aren't allowed to take pictures of anything not even the outside or use your cellphone. It was recommended to have luggage checked at least 2 hrs. The delta counter was not that bad but security check was horrible as they only had one line. The boarding and deplaning is all outside you don't get to ride a bus like what I experienced at the Punta Cana portrait. Depending on where your plane is you might have a long walk to the plane. There was limited seating and outlets. One sandwich shop and one souvenir place. They did have a VIP lounge, if i fly again through PLS i may check out the prices of the lounge to have some space as it was very crowded in main area.

Getting Around

I researched the transportation from the airport and saw taxi prices could be $60-$80 one way. Some suggested once at the hotel you could rent a bicycle around town. Since my resort was not all inclusive I decided to rent a car through Hertz . They partner with a local company there and you can’t redeem your Gold points there and they don’t take AMEX. I was looking forward to using Gold Points. :)

Before you rent a car you may want to weigh your options based on where you are staying and how much exploring you plan to do. I was so excited about the deal I received on the trip I didn’t look up to see prices there. I knew going that USD is the currency BUT I didn’t know how expensive the Island is. Gas was $6.00 per gallon (rare) at the time. Thank goodness I had a small Nissan. I paid around $38 for around 7 and half gallons when returning the vehicle after 5 days of driving. There are dogs everywhere, be careful driving! There are not many street lights; you drive on left side, and all roundabouts, with 40 KMPH as the speed limit on main streets. It’s very dark at night and of course my gps on phone didn’t work so I had to use the old school maps!

Accommodations

If you aren't going rent a car try to stay in a resort the middle of the Island. You can also try Airbnb and save $40 off your first stay with my referral code.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="374"] Gansevoort Turks And Caicos[/caption]
Ocean Resort Club Review
I stayed at Ocean Club Resort, which allows for access to both their resorts. Ocean club East (OCE) and Ocean Club West (OCW). I paid for island view which means a view of the parking lot and trees. I initially stayed on top floor of building I, which is right behind the club house. There was no bellman to take bags, I was assigned a room and entered only to find they were still cleaning. I had to go back to the lobby to wait 30 mins for room to be cleaned. All rooms have screened in porch which is great to avoid mosquito. I liked the room which included mini kitchen. However I left for dinner and came back to ants crawling all over kitchen area. I was moved to another room in the meantime til they figured it out. I was literally ready to go home at this point after traveling since 8 am that morning. The next morning, the manager came in and apologized but later moved me to a better room and better view, partial view of beach.Resort is very basic since it’s not all inclusive. Includes 2 small pools. The beach chairs are nice but this part of grace bay had a lot of shells and rocks in the ocean compared to other parts. I love the internet that is included in each room. Room cleaning only included making bed and giving new bathroom towels, for that reason I didn’t ask for room cleaning rest of trip. You must have gate access code to get in OCE if parking a car. Parking was very limited but since it was off season it was not a problem.

Food

I purchased a lot of my favorite snacks before coming which I was glad I did because the grocery store is expensive. I did go to the store to get water and juice; the chips were around $7.00. Orange juice $6.00. There is a 12% tax on most items including restaurants. If you aren't staying in an all inclusive resort check out these restaurants.Tiki Hut
Turtle Cove Inn Hotel
I went to chicken and ribs night on Wednesday. The open restaurant offers view of Turtle Cove Marina. Food came out quick and was very delicious. Also they offered $5 rum punch on Wednesday.Caicos BakeryGrace Bay, TKCA 1ZZA cute rench bakeryGreat pastries for breakfast, I stocked up on them for two days of breakfast. They are made fresh each day.Crackpot KitchenGracebay | The Shops at Ports of Call, TKCA 1ZZ,An upscale restaurant, great service, limited menu. They have live music on Saturday and a special menu. I had conch fritters for the first time and they were great. This is an upscale restaurant.Mr. Grouper73 Princess Road | Next to the Tourist BoardMY FAVORITE of the Trip: I had the coconut crusted grouper, plantains, and mac and cheese it was awesome. Great service. It was a little hard to find at first.Bay BistroGrace Bay, TKCA 1ZZ, Providenciales
Located in Sibonne Hotel. Great view and breakfast was decent. This part of grace bay bistro was nice. Service slow.Danny Buoys153 Grace Bay Road, Providenciales
An Irish sports bar that offers Karaoke. Service was good, I went on a Thursday night and it was a night with a lot of locals. I returned on a Sat night as most other restaurants closed early. They have a late night menu and I had a chicken quesadilla that was REALLY good. It's simple bar food.

Shopping

There was not much shopping available unless looking for souvenirs. I did most of my shopping at the airport (rum cakes, souvenirs) due to most stores were not open on Sunday.

Tourist Attractions

Grace Bay Beach-Beautiful, peaceful, white sandy beach. The part near the park next to Sibonne Hotel was the cleanest in terms of the water not being so rocky.Chalk Sound -A 20 minute drive from main resorts, it was a beautiful area that attract a lot of tourists. Kind of strange considering its surrounded by a residential neighborhood, so there is not a place to really park and get out. I did find a spot at Doctors Lane and Chalk Sound drive behind the main road. Be careful.My next trip I will explore north and middle Caicos.

Thursday Island Fish Fry-This is an event that happens in Bight Park. There are local food and souvenir vendors. You can choose from a dozen local restaurants. Get there early for a seat and to avoid the lines for food. They had lobster, conch, jerk food, fried grouper, mac and cheese, fresh coconuts, ice cream. They had live music and a treat from the We Funk Junkanoo Band. It was a place for all ages and a fun atmosphere. I was there for hours and not bored. You must experience this if you are in Provo on a Thursday.
CHECK OUT THE A SHORT VIDEO OF THE TRIP AND HOTEL
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbptOCWr2Oo[/embedyt]

This is now my favorite Caribbean destination once I got past the sticker shock of costs. Now that I know it’s a short 2 hr flight from Atlanta, I will be back again soon. Have you considered Turks and Caicos? Why or why not?Comment below!

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7 Reasons to Travel Solo - Work Hard Travel WellFebruary 26, 2017

[…] the transit system of a new city and making it home in one piece. :). I opted to rent a car in Turks and Caicos. That was my first time driving on the left side and it took some getting used to and I got lost […]